Summary
During a field course the vegetation of the extensive mire complex on the west side of Malham Tarn was examined. 84 relevés were collected, with 210 taxa in total.
This data set has been ‘structured’ by classical phytosociological techniques. It is suggested that it approaches the maximum size of data-set which can be handled in this way, especially if the data are not all collected by one person. Ordination of the quadrats was carried out but gave little insight into the data despite the use of non-centred as well as centred principal components analysis.
Numerical classification of the quadrats using minimumvariance cluster analysis was shown to produce a structure interpretable in ecological terms. A classification of the taxa was carried out by the same method and a ‘rearranged’ table was drawn up using the results of the two classifications.
A relocation technique was applied at an appropriate cluster level but little was felt to be gained from this. The use of ‘two-way’ minimum-variance cluster analysis for the rapid production of re-arranged tables is recommended for large data-sets.
In addition the vegetational units recognised in the data are described and discussed.
Zusammenfassung
Während eines Geländekurses wurde der ausgedehnte Moorkomplex westlich von Malham Tarn, England untersucht. Es wurden 84 Vegetationsaufnahmen erhoben, in denen insgesamt 210 Taxa notiert wurden.
Eine klassische pflanzensoziologische Tabelle wurde aufgestellt; jedoch wurde festgestellt, dass das Aufnahmematerial fast zu umfangreich für eine solche Bearbeitung war umso mehr da die Aufnahmen nicht alle von einem Untersucher erhoben worden waren. Eine Ordination ergab nur wenig Einsicht, obwohl sowohl eine nichtzentrierte als eine Hauptkomponentenanalyse versucht wurden.
Numerische Klassifikation mittels einer ‘Minimal-Varianz Schwarm Analyse’ ergab eine ‘ökologisch interpretierbare Struktur. In ähnlicher Weise wurde eine Klassifikation der Taxa durchgeführt. Auf der Basis dieser beiden Klassifikationen wurde eine umgearbeitete Tabelle aufgestellt.
Eine ‘Relokation’ auf einem geeigneten Schwarm-Niveau ergab aber wenig neue Einsichten. Die Anwendung einer zweiseitigen Minimal-Varianz Schwarm Analyse wird für das rasche Aufstellen einer umgearbeiteten Tabell von vielen Aufnahmen empfohlen.
Anschliessend werden die unterschiedenen Vegetationseinheiten beschrieben und diskutiert.
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Nomenclature follows Hubbard (1968) for Gramineae, and Clapham, Tutin and Warburg (1962) for other vascular plants, with the following exceptions:Oxycoccus palustris Pers. forVaccinium oxycoccos, Dryopteris spinulosa Watt. forD. carthusiana, “Cochlearia alpina” forC. officinalis ssp. alpina. Bryophyte nomenclaure follows Warburg (1963) for mosses, and Paton (1965) for liverworts. Lichen nomenclature follows James (1965) except for our use ofHypogymnia physodes forParmelia physodes (L.) Ach.
The authors wish to thank Miss D. R. Clowes, Mr. P. Gladders, Mr. A. R. Hall, Mr. R. N. Lentell, and Mr. J. E. Young for assistance in the collection of the data, and Mrs. M. E. Pettit and Mrs. S. Peglar for assistance in the data processing.
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Adam, P., Birks, H.J.B., Huntley, B. et al. Phytosociological studies at malham tarn moss and fen, Yorkshire, England. Plant Ecol 30, 117–132 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02389613
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02389613